Serena Williams’ comeback at Wimbledon ended against 115th-ranked Harmony Tan, who beat the 23-time Grand Slam champion in the first round.
The Frenchwoman defeated the seven-time Wimbledon champion 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Centre Court in a memorable debut at the All England Club.
For the 40-year-old Williams, it was her first singles match since exiting Wimbledon a year ago in the first round because of an injury.
Williams was leading 5-4 and was two points from victory, but Tan broke to even the set. Williams then saved a match point in the 12th game to force a tiebreaker.
The loss was only the third for Williams in the first round of a Grand Slam match.
Last week, Williams qualified to play after receiving a wildcard to play in the women's singles event.
Earlier this month, Williams took to social media to announce her return and captioned a picture of her tennis shoes on a grass court, saying, "SW and SW19. It’s a date. 2022. See you there."
